Roller screen



MW A. W. BARNHART y pwfi ROLLER SCREEN Filed May 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W m mm. A W BARNHART imm w ROLLER SCREEN Filed May 9, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W z I v z M m ,4 wk 8 m ,H m 5 m 7 4 4 7 z z a P f 4 m 1 g tw Patented May 19, 1936 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER SCREEN Albert W. Barnhart, Youngstown, Ohio Application May 9, 1930, Serial No. 450,925 9 Claims. (01. 156-39) This invention relates to roller screens, which are adapted for use in connection with the operation of casement windows. Usually such screens are adapted to roll into a housing, which is fastened to the top of the casement frame, while the edges of the screen move in guideways that extend downwardly from the housing the full length of the window opening. Heretofore,

the variation in the casement sizes and of the dilference between the head and sill has necessitated special fitting work for the installation of each screen guide. Consequently, the practice has been to fasten a housing in place and then to cut the guides of the desired length from a stock strip and to fit them in place. As provision could not readily be made in advance for the position of the attaching members on the strips to the casement, it has been necessary to drill the casement on the job in order to fasten the guides thereto.

.In some cases, the guides could be nailed to a jamb but care had to be exercised to position the guides in the proper manner or else difiiculty would be experienced in making the screen enter the guide slots easily and freely.

There has, been a decided need therefore, for a roller screen construction which would permit the screen to be installed in an expeditious manner, and which would eliminate the necessity for careful adjustment of the guide to insure free- ,dom of movement of the screen.

An object of the present invention therefore,

is to provide improvements in roller screen construction, which will eliminate the necessity for cutting and fitting of the screen guides, and which will therefore, enable the roller screens to be quickly attached to casement windows in a greatly reduced period of time. In addition, my invention is directed toward a construction, which will make the screen insect proof, and which will insure free and easy operation of the screen.

' Another object is to provide a screen construction which permits reasonable adjustment to accommodate the variation in distance which occurs between the sill and the head.

The preferred manner of carrying out my invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein Fig; 1 is a front elevation of a roller screen mounted upon a window frame; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a roller screen housing and end cap projection; Fig. 3 is a cross section taken along the line'3-'-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail showing the method of locking the screen guide and end cap projection; Fig. 6 is a 5,. detail of the screw slots in the end guides and end cap projection showing the method of securing the. guides to a window frame; and Fig. 7 is a cross-section on line 11 in Fig. 3.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and designating the same parts by the same number in each drawing, I0 is any metal window frame upon which a roller screen embodying my invention can be mounted; II is a roller screen housing and I2 are end guideways, while I4 is a wire screen of any suitable mesh.

To provide a construction, which will allow the necessary vertical adjustments to take care of installation conditions as Well as to insure proper vertical alignment of the end guides, I use an end cap projection l5, secured in any suitable manner, as by the lips l6, l1, l8 and I9, respectively to the screen housing. This end cap projection l5 supports the roller 20 for the screen l4, and provides a cap for the housing I I and forms a guidewayat its lower end for the screen. Each end guide I2 is telescopically connected to one end of the end cap projections. The housing has an opening 8 upon the back wall through which the screen passes, as the roller turns and also has a reinforcing rib 28 along the front edge of the opening.

By telescoping the end guides over the end ca projections, it is apparent that the end guides may be previously cut to a given size and then adjusted upon the projections to accommodate the distance between the head and sill. Furthermore, it is apparent that the inter-fitting of the end cap projections and coacting guides insures close alignment of the guide slots, and thereby facilitates and insures a smooth running screen.

In order to lock each end cap projection securely to the associated end guide after all necessary vertical adjustments have been made, I provide a number of equally spaced threaded openings 2| in the end cap projection and two openings 22 in the end guides in staggered relation to the threaded openings 2 I. When the housing and end guides are in proper position, one of the openings in each end guide will be substantially in registration with one of the threaded openings in the associated end cap projection. Thereupon, a screw 23 may be used to lock these members securely to ther.

To prevent insects from entering between the housing and transom bar, I prefer to form a lip Eon the back part of the roller housing by turning the back wall upwardly and outwardly, as shown in Fig. 7. The metal being flexible will then adhere closely to the transom bar when the 0 :Fig. '7.

of the housing and the frame to which attached.

To facilitate the mounting of the housing and guides, I provide screw slots 24 on the back walls of the housing and end guides respectively. These slots have openings 21 through which the heads of the screws 26 may be passed at the time of installation. The screws are first threaded into the easement frame but are left sufliciently loose to slide thehousing and guides into place behind the heads of the screws. The telescopic guides are placed over the end cap projections and are adjusted to the proper position.

it is The assembled screen is then placed in posi tion against the easement so that the screw heads pass through the large openings 21 in the guide slots 24. Thereupon, each guide is forced downwardly until it contacts with thestoolj The bottom screws of each guide 23 are then tightened.-

Provision is made for this operation by providing screwdriver slots 25 on the small end of each screw. Thus, each screw may be tightened even though the headis concealed by the telescopic guides, thereupon the housing is adjusted so that the top screws enter the large holes 21 in the end cap projection, and so that the entire screen satisfactorily fits flush with the easement frame.

' The housing is then slid up to the desired position on the transom bar or head rail, care being taken ;so that one of the openings 2| in the end cap projection is in registration with one of the openings in the end guides. A screw 23 is then passed through the registering openings, thereby looking the housing and guides together. The four top "screws, as at 26, are then tightened, thus completing the installation of the screen.

To facilitate replacement of the screen within the guide, slots in the event that it should be displaced by anything which accidentally strikes the ;screen, I have found that the screen will automatically move into position if it is rolled up after the displacement has occurred. This action may be facilitated by extending the upper edge 36 of the projecting wall endwardly, as is shown in From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the roller housing with the screen therein maybe mounted upon the frame head or transom bar, and that the end guides may be accordingly zadjusted and locked in the desired position without the necessity for any cutting or fitting at the time of installation. Furthermore, it is apparent that the telescopic arrangement between the end cap projection and the associated end guides in- 55' sures accurate arrangement of the screen slots at all times, and. thereby prevents binding of the screen while in use. This method of assembly effects such material reduction in the installation time that it has resulted in the use of roller screens, as a necessary part of a casement window, whereas heretofore,such screens have been regarded as an expensive accessory.

I claim:

1. In a casement window screen, the combination with a roller housing, of screen guides associateditherewith and adapted to be adjustably positioned thereon, said guides comprising hollow box-like members, having slots associated with the back walls thereof, and means extending through the slots and adjustable from the outer side of the frame for locking the housing and guides to the casement frame.

2. In combination, .a casement frame, a roller screen housing mounted thereon, and a lip extending across the bottom of the housing and adapted to be bent to contact with the frame to provide an insect-proof joint between the housing and frame.

3. In combination, a casement frame, a roller screen housing mounted thereon, and an integral 5 window casement, the entrance end of the slot in the upper section being turned upward and the entrance end of the slot in the lower section be- 1 ing turned downward.

5. A sectional guide for the edge of a roller screen comprising a sheet metal element folded to form a four-sided channel of rectangular crosssection, one side of said channel being narrower 9.

than the opposite side to leave'an open slot for the entry of a screen, a second element of similar shape to the first, but of slightly different dimensions to telescope therewith, and a plurality ment, said holes registering in the overlapping sections of said members whereby they may be secured together by means passing through said registered holes.

6. Sectional guides for the edge of a roller 3 screen comprising a sheet metal element folded to form a four-sided channel of rectangular crosssection, one side of said channel being narrower than the opposite side to leave an open slot for the entry of a screen, a second element of similar 3 shape to the first, but of slightly different dimensions to telescope therewith, and having an additional inturned wall, and a plurality of spaced holes in the narrow side of each element, said holes, registered in overlapping sections of said members, whereby they may be secured together by means passing through said registered holes.

7. In a roller screen the combination of a roller screen housing having open ends, end plates closing the ends of the housing and carrying integral legs provided with screen slots, the housing being adapted to receive a screen roller and the roller being journalled in the end plates, screen guides telescoping with the legs, the legs and guides having key hole slots on the back walls thereof and 5 having registering openings on the side walls thereof, means extending through the registering openings for locking the guides and legs together, and means extending through the key hole slots for locking the guides and legs to a window frame. 5

8. In a roller screen the combination of a roller screen housing having open ends, end plates closing the ends of the housing and carrying integral hollow legs each provided with screen slots, the housing being adapted to receive a screen roller, the roller being journalled in said end plates, said end plates and housing being interconnected by tongue and slot connections, hollow guides telescopically connected to the legs and havingscreen slots therein aligning with those in the legs, key hole mounting slots on the legs and guides, the keyhole slots being adapted to permit an adjustment of the housing upwardly with reference to a. window frame and an adjustment of the guides downwardly with reference to the frame, registering openings in the legs and guides adjacent the screen slots, and means extending through the openings for locking the guides in adjusted position with reference to the frame.

of spaced holes in the narrow side of each ele- 9A 9. In combination, a roller screen housing mountable on a casement frame and. having hollow legs extending downwardly from the ends thereof, the legs having screen slots therein, hollow screen guides telescoping with the legs and having screen slots in alignment with those in the legs, the legs and guides having aligned openings, means extending through the openings for interlocking the guides and legs, other means for interlocking the legs and frame, and a flexible lip on the back of the housing for engaging the frame lengthwise of the housing to provide an in- 5 sect joint between .the housing and frame.

ALBERT W. BARNHART. 

